Post by countryboi on Apr 17, 2012 10:02:21 GMT -5
my father and i built an incubator out of and old refer.. we had few birds hatch in it but not as good as we hoped .. theirs plans for then online but everything we tried just made for head ache better off buying one the $100 foams ones were OK but the digital thermostat's go bad and need to be replaced with the pancake style. another problem with them is humidity it's hard to keep water in them .. could build a self filling system but that can be a pain as well we went though all of that and then lucked out and traded for a sportsman it truly makes the different from getting 45-60 hatch from 125 to getting 75-90 hatch from 124 .. and the sportsman set up right will set almost 3000 quail eggs ether you can hatch 3000 at once every 18 days say that you have enough breeders to lay that many eggs or you can stagger the 12 possible trays to the way you like i set only 2 racks for now because I'm just getting started trying to sell some and i have a hatch about every nine days the trays hold 124 eggs you can double stack four trays to the rack and theirs 3 racks .... hopes this helps not much on this site i can help with as to know nothing about falconry mi can only read and be amazed :-) but see your post and well .....
Post by tnfalconer on Apr 17, 2012 15:59:55 GMT -5
I like a few of the ideas on the link above. They look like they would work well. I thought about building my own incubator when i started raising quail, in the end i bought a hovabator from tractor supply for 39 bucks. It has since incubated about 1,000 quail. I also have a nicer, higher dollar ReptiPro 5000 incubator that I like, but the hovabator does the same job just as well. One thing I have found with the hova-bator is don't worry about buying the egg turner. i used one initially and wondered why my hatch rate was rather low. A friend gave me the tip of taking out the turner and putting the eggs directly on the 1/4" wire provided with the kit. This has increased my production by at least 30 percent. The little giant is a name brand also sold by Tractor Supply. Get one of these little deals and a thermometer and you can hatch about 120 per cooking.
Our Co TN falconer suggested the little giant to me as well. I was wanting a hands in the wood shop project for a table top DYI. Have you applied for a release permit , Are you raising Bob white ?
I was wanting to raise 100 at a go , cull 50 for the freezer at 6-8 weeks, release 40 more at 12 weeks and keep 10 or whats left for breeding. Hopeful to do this cycle 2- 3 times a year , Myself and 2 other Mid Tn falconers. Going to apply for the reserve permit to release them on our farm to try to insure that the future Coopers has plenty to chase in a few season . Are you stacking the freezer for the gang or releasing for the new Gos? very interested in how that goes BTW , keep me posted.
I have a stack of native red cedar left over from the mews project and was dreaming up a table top incubator design out of it ... Come on season.... seriously ...
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
Post by countryboi on Apr 17, 2012 18:53:18 GMT -5
you really don't wanna raise bob whites unless you wanna turn loose to re populate heres why bobwhite only lay so many eggs a year takes for ever to get them full grown and they are really hard to raise they spook real easy and fly up in taller cages and kill thems selves i raise coturnix they lay a egg pretty much every day with a 40 watt light bulb on them 24-7 they will lay in 0 degree weather their very tame like pets they carry more meat dress out 80% their body weight and have about an 80% hatch they start laying just 8 weeks from the egg and hatch in 18 days i reccomend useing the rocker but remember to always set big end of the egg up keep water in there humidity is a huge factor if you have alot try to hatch but don't their too dry ....... i'ved raise about 5000 in the last 3 yearsv and funny but my girlfriend just said we have a problem their hatching now and falling from top rack to the brood lol i hatch about 70-80 ever 9 days if anyone wants some or eggs contact me pm and we'll set something and i can tell you everything you need to know...... hope this helps
Post by tnfalconer on Apr 17, 2012 19:18:57 GMT -5
I'm with the above poster. I am only raising Cotournix quail. I read through the preserve paperwork and it didn't really interest me much. I have a local man that has a preserve setup on his (Huge) farm. I have access there. I don't raise bob's for the same reason as above. Takes too long, too tempermental and not enough meat. I am raising them for food for my hawks,myself,dog and hawk training. These things reproduce so quickly it is almost a problem if you don't intend to raise a bunch of them. I have been having to give eggs away and recently traded some for chickens/guinees. I am holding off on incubating any more as my pens are full and so are my incubators. For a cost comparison aspect. It is costing me approx. .50 cents to feed out 1 quail. That is from hatch to freezer. Never figured bobs, I expect it would be closer to 1.00 each because of the additional time to reach maturity. Just a thought.
If you intend to release them get a few bob's breeding for release then get some cotournix for the hawks/eating.
I have access to TX A&M and mature / cull rate is 5-6 weeks. All white big meat birds $2 at 5 weeks age live. Thought of raising out 50 Or so of them for the freezer and bobs or TN Reds for the farm. Yes, release is part of the grand plan , would love to find some woodcock and it grouse eggs to raise too. Just new things to flush on the farm.
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
Post by countryboi on Apr 17, 2012 20:18:19 GMT -5
yeah i raise whites reds browns and blondes mix them for really pretty birds blonde with red n white heads brown bordered white feathers and your price is about right $2 for 5 week seen one post he had 7 week for $1.50 he must own feed store lol seen someone say up $1 to the freezer thats hard to match as well figure in time feed watering and feeding breeders i figure i got $1.50 n my birds and try to put back $0.25 back for feed from every sale to expand but find it hard to stir up business around here.. every were else you look they want alot more for their birds some as high as $7 live bird and $15.00 a lb for meat $12.00 a dozen for hatching eggs i sell my eggs mixed colors for $35 per 100 plus the price for shipping and i try and add a few extra just in case ......good business makes for good business .. liek i said i'm looking for my big break :-)
Post by countryboi on Apr 17, 2012 20:26:40 GMT -5
woodcock grouse ssnipe mmmmmm never thought of that not sure on the laws boy they sure do taste good wish i could get into what you guys do save on ammo let your bird fetchem and really cool at that but don't think a poor ol countryboy like me can mannage getting a hawk .... so i stick with my dog n guns and raise my chickens lol told the ol lady that i was gonna get a welders gloove on and lace up my bb red game rooster in leather and take a pick of him on the fist and post it on here titled does this count lol :-)
Post by tnfalconer on Apr 17, 2012 22:05:35 GMT -5
you kinda got my juices flowing thinking about hatching some grouse....UNTIL I found some eggs for sale. 30 bucks each!!!! Minimum of 6. Ruffed grouse. 25 day hatch. HOLY CRAP! Needless to say i will stick with the quail.
wow yea quail taste good enough for me lol i'm trying to get my birds in the restruant business as well i have a recipe that will have people waiting at the door but heck everyone eats my cook swears i could put every restruant in the country out of business this coiuntryboy can flat out cook ...... what part TN you from ? I'm western KY about 45 mins from clarksville fort cambell area .... need to get u people down here to catch some of these hawks and take home their taken over here
nope close also about 45 from paducah lol i'm east of paducah north of fort cambell between hopkinsville and madisonville smack dab in the middle lol haven't had my coffee this morning can't type ...... of course coffee don't make ya smarter still can't spell lol :-)
Last Edit: Apr 18, 2012 8:11:35 GMT -5 by countryboi
Post by countryboi on Apr 18, 2012 10:15:29 GMT -5
OK took a rough head count these ages are approx .. 5 weeks - grown breeders 18 brown , 58 Blondie, 15 white, 45 red, like i said i stopped focusing separate colors a while back but is easy to get in line again can do it in 3 weeks lol BASICs 2 of one color make that color red + white = red with white breast or tuxedo and i could go on but it can get confusing like i said been messing with them alot lol I'd like to keep the red n whites for breed gonna stick with them i have 62 2 weeks old mixed 75 1 week old and just pulled 87 out of the incubator ...... I've got about 90 bantam chicks breeds .. silver duck wing, BB red , self blue, Creole, black rose comb, and Dominique's but their not pure have a rooster with flat cone probably part barred rock .. chicken breeds i can set eggs from pure breed .... we have in bantams white silky, silver duck wing , BB red, Creole, black rose comb, self blue, and Americana's in standard breed Americana's , silver wine dot and later on dark Cornish just got my start of them for my personal all purpose meat egg yard bird...... in the incubator now ... about 50 turkey eggs 90 bantam/ wine dot eggs 124 quail eggs .... boy i do i need some business :-)